Mending Bridges and Building Communities

I am pleased to inform you that to date, over 300 leaders have signed-up to join our team to plan an inclusive Town Hall Forum designed to bring the Triangle community (Raleigh-Durham, NC) together, given the strained relationships nationally between our law enforcement agencies and communities. But, we need you, too! Your voice needs to be heard. If you have not already signed-up, It's not too late, please join us. 

This is a collective opportunity for us to come together as a community. I want to share an example of why we cannot and should not "walk by this moment."  

I was walking in downtown Raleigh, recently, I came across a young man attempting to wake up a man who appeared to be sleeping on a bus stop bench. The man was non-responsive. 

I noticed others watching but walking by. And still others driving by but not stopping. As I approached the young man, and was about to ask if he needed help, he pulled out his cell phone and called out 911. At that same time an older women did the same. 

I looked around for a police cruiser and then ran up a particular street toward an intersection. Once I arrived at the intersection, I saw a police cruiser whose lights had come on but was headed in the wrong direction. I flagged the car down and pointed the officer in the right direction.

Within 60 seconds the gentlemen, who was under duress in the extreme heat, was being attended to by 10-12 first responders (EMS, fire fighters and police officers) all focused on his needs. I thanked the young man for his heroic actions and smiled at the older women who thanked me for flagging down the car. 

I also went around and thanked each of the first responders for their service as they were tending to the gentlemen.

What if the young man or older women would have walked by or kept going? What would've happened to the gentleman under duress?

During this time as our nation is facing crisis, we can ill afford to "walk by" or "drive by" and leave the responsibility to treating the ills of our society to our law enforcement agencies. Without a community willing to provide support and direction, these agencies cannot effectively protect or serve us. 

Just as we worked with first responders to assist the man under duress, we must be willing to work together to heal our nation of its wounds.  We can't kick this can down the road as a problem for our children to solve in the future. 
We must make every attempt to solve it NOW.

Take a look back at a riveting discussion we held a year ago broadcast on UNC-TV. 

If you have not done so already...  Just click here to let me know if you are interested in helping to plan. If you have already registered, please invite your colleagues and friends to join the effort. 

"We are inevitably our brother's keeper because we are our brother's brother. Whatever affects one directly affects all."

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.